Erica De Mane

Recipes:

Grill-Roasted Black Olives with Garlic and Thyme
Grilled Calamari with Pomodoro Crudo and Couscous
Grilled Figs with Caciocavallo

Grill-Roasted Black Olives with Garlic and Thyme

Pile a few handfuls of whole black olives onto a large piece of aluminum foil (Gaeta or Niçoise are good choices for this). Drizzle with olive oil, add two or three peeled, whole garlic cloves, the leaves from a few thyme sprigs, a few small pieces of lemon peel, and a grinding or two of black pepper. Mix everything well with your hands and close up the foil. Put the package on the slow part of the grill until the olives smell fragrant, about 5 minutes. Open up the package and eat warm.

Grilled Calamari with Pomodoro Crudo and Couscous

Couscous is an easy way to round out a barbecue, for the quick-cooking variety actually needs no cooking at all. Pour about 1 1/2 cups of couscous into a serving bowl. Pour 2 cups of low-salt chicken broth into a small saucepan, and put it on the fire. Add a drizzle of olive oil, a large lump of butter, a bay leaf, a pinch of sugar, a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg, and a generous pinch of salt. Let this come to a boil, and then pour it over the couscous. Cover the bowl and let it sit for about 20 minutes, so the couscous absorbs all the liquid. Now fluff the couscous with a fork, adding a handful of pine nuts and some chopped parsley.

To make the pomodoro crudo, or raw tomato sauce, chop 3 ripe summer tomatoes and let them drain in a colander for about 20 minutes. Pour them into a large serving bowl. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil, a small amount of minced summer garlic, a small, minced fresh chili, a few chopped marjoram sprigs, salt, and the zest from 1/2 a lemon. Mix everything together, and let it sit while you cook the squid. You’ll need about 2 pounds of cleaned squid, left whole, the tentacles detached. Chose squid that’s on the small size; it will be more tender. Toss the squid in olive oil and season it with salt. Grill it over a hot but not flaming fire until good grill marks appear. Turn and grill the other side. The squid will take only about 3 or 4 minutes. When it’s opaque, with good grill marks, it is done (if you cook it any longer, it’ll get tough). Slice it into thick rings, and drop it, along with the grilled tentacles, into the tomatoes. Add a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley and toss everything quickly. Serve right away, with the couscous. I’d make a green salad to go with this as well.

Grilled Figs with Caciocavallo

Take about 8 ripe figs, either green-skinned or purple-skinned, and cut them in half lengthwise. Coat them lightly with olive oil and stick them, cut side down, on a slow part of the grill (try to find an area free of any remains of squid). Grill until you see light grill marks, about 2 to 3 minutes. Line a serving platter with thin slices of Caciocavallo cheese (look for Caciocavallo Ragusano, from Sicily). Place the figs on top of the cheese, grilled side up, give everything a few grindings of fresh black pepper, and garnish with mint leaves, if you like. Serve right away.